My Lady Commandant
by TheLostMinstrel
Summary: Anna Kai was exiled at the end of the Mandolorian War. As Commandant of Citadel Station she has enemies who are only too happy to give her back to the Republic in return for an advantage over the Citadel Council and the Normandy is in position to do so.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

The first chapter has been rewritten to make it easier to read and the rewritten second chapter should be up soon. If you have read this before I do recommend that you read it again as I have added quite a lot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Knight of the Old Republic or Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.

Dedicated to Vshard.

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Chapter One: Endings, Beginnings and Other.

A small fleet waited over Malachor V. On board its the largest ship, General Anna Kai closed the door to her small quarters and flung herself to the opposite wall as though physical pain would be enough to distract her from the raging emotions that she could not centre. She didn't attempt to meditate, but instead paced the small room from one wall to the other thinking, raging, and despairing all at once.

She had not felt so overwhelmed since the aftermath of Dxun, her first battle on the jungle moon of Onderon. There she had shaken so violently as she watched the survivors board the rescue ships that many of her men had whispered and pointed. They'd laughed at her too when she'd first arrived to help. Help, her? A girl who may have Force powers but certainly no military training. She had no life ever experience outside the Jedi Enclaves where, physically at least, she was always protected, always safe.

The two most respected Jedi soldiers, Malak and Revan, were both young too - only in their early twenties - but they somehow passed as acting commanders. Anna Kai had always looked younger than her age with wide brown eyes and brown curls. Short and petite, she looked more like a doll than anything else. Everywhere she'd been in during the war, the men had whispered that she would be broken if she even made it through her first battle.

In a sense they were right. She had trembled so violently that everything appeared to dance before her eyes as she'd stood watching Malak and Revan discussing the events that had ensured their latest victory. She'd wanted to scream W_hich victory?_ because it wasn't at Dxun. Too many people had died there because their Jedi commanders had been inexperienced, and because the plans, although perfect for Revan's victory, had meant throwing anyone who wasn't a Jedi at the enemy lines until they died. But she couldn't say it so she stood there and shook.

Suddenly, she recognised faces of those about to board the ship, men she had led. These men had been three inseparable friends and the life and soul of any gathering. Now there were only two. She'd turned abruptly from Revan, cutting off the older girl mid-sentence, and made her way over to the two men. They saluted. She waved their salutes away.

"I'm sorry." she'd all but whispered.

The two men looked at each other in bemusement. They were lifers, men who'd joined the Republic forces as soon as they were of age in an attempt to leave their dead-end planet. They'd gone in knowing the risk and yet here was this little commander apologising. These men had also been speaking amongst themselves, both noting that this little girl had proved herself well, but she still lacked the know-how.

One of the men looked at her and gave her a weak smile. What did you say to her? "As long as you learn from your battles, miss, you'll make a fine soldier and commander."

Anna had met his eyes and nodded. That was when she'd began being different from the other Jedi, less cryptic, more militarised. Those under her command revered her for it, but Malak accused her of trying to be like her men rather than accepting the privileges of the Force Sensitive she was.

Revan began to give her more dangerous battles, more suicidal missions as time progressed. Whispers in the ranks wondered if it was because, unlike some Jedi-led battalions, Kai's men would follow her anywhere unquestionably, or if Revan was trying to kill their little general. No one was ever sure. Until now. Now as Anna Kai stood in her quarters, contemplating the fate of Malachor V, she knew why she was the one at this far flung corner of the Republic. She knew why every single soul in this fleet had been chosen for this task instead of others. They were here to die.

Revan had fallen, as had Malak. It was a silent thing, just as the teachers had warned and now the new dark lord intended to cement her new power. The other Jedi with the fleet were all here for their own reasons, not Revan's. Darth Revan knew that once the war was over that they would go back to The Order if they could. If they could not, they would go their own way, not hers. Knowing this, Revan made this last battle murder. She wanted to kill as many people who would not follow her as she was able. What was a better cover for a massacre than battle?

Thus, it fell upon the General that the men knew and trusted, to send them to their deaths. If she refused, Revan would allow the Mandalorians destroy them for her. If they did not battle, every death in the last year, ever since her first battle in the jungles on Dxun, would have been for nothing.

Anna Kai knew how Revan's mind worked. She would need a diversion to hide her fall for a little longer until she had consolidated her power.. The Shadow Mass Field Generator - or whatever the wretched thing was called - would be Revan's tool.

This battle had to be won by Kai's forces. If they lost this battle all Revan had to do was wait. She would not come with the necessary reinforcements in time. Instead she would wait until the general's small force was pinned down by the Mandalorians. It was a simple plan because when that happened Anna would be forced to order that the damn machine be turned on. The advance of the Mandalorians would be stopped, but everyone else on the planet would also die in an instant. Revan would win on all counts and there was nothing the little general could do to stop it. General Anna Kai stood in her quarters, lightsaber in hand, and wept.

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After Malachor V:

Anna Kai would never truly know when she had realised that she had survived Malachor V though she wished she had been there when the news reached Revan and Malak. She remembered the lead technician's voice calling her, his voice laced with agonising pain, until he passed out. She was aware of her surroundings and yet she could not move not even to signal her consciousness. All she could do was lie there and wallow in the emptiness of where the Force had been. No matter how far she reached out she could not feel it.

They both had both lain there for hours, the general and the technician, surrounded by the dead until they were found by Republic forces salvaging the remnants of the battle. _(Really nice sentence!)_Their rescuers were surprised to find the general down in the depths of the ship rather than on the bridge as would be expected.

The few other survivors aboard the ship told the rescue team of a furious argument between General Kai and Darth Revan in which Kai had stood, threatening the dark lord with every ounce of her being. "Allow me to assure you Revan, if I ever have the misfortune to come across you again I will make you suffer for every death here at Malachor I may order their deaths now, but there will be blood on your hands for all time.".

Later during debriefing, the surviving technicians had pointed out that they were aware of what it would do when they had built it. Anna Kai had demanded to be the one to do it, to switch it on, and to have the blood of millions on her hands. She'd said that since she had ordered it she would be the one to carry out the massacre, no one else. Only Bao-Dur, the technician who had created the shadow generator, was allowed to stay. When the order from Revan had come through the communications link, Anna had given a terse nod to Bao-Dur and he turned it on.

The little general never came back to the bridge. Even after she was physically well enough to travel again she would refuse to step back on board a Republic war ship or on the bridge of any ship.

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She'd healed slowly in a Republic refuge - very slowly for a Jedi - but when she was well again she could feel tinges of the Force again, growing stronger all the time. At least she could until she went before the Jedi Council. Now, some time after her last meeting with the Council, she was no longer sure what she had said. The details were weak even in her strongest dreams, but she remembered the faces, the expressions and everything she didn't say.

As though it would alleviate the guilt of surviving when so many had died, she had wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that she wanted to murder Revan. She wanted to torture her until she died as slow and as agonising a death as possible. She knew that The Council accused her of going to war for personal reasons or bloodlust, but she still believed it was the right thing to do. As they'd questioned her, she'd remained adamant that she had done what she had thought best even if it hadn't worked out the way she'd planned.

In the end, there was nothing she could do but surrendered her lightsaber, and leave. The moment she'd reached exit of the enclave she'd. tossed aside her Jedi robes in favor of the plain clothes that lay beneath. Those nearby gaped in astonishment, but Kai too far lost in herself to notice.

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A few days after Anna's departure, Kavar, her master, stirred from his meditation as he felt the echo of what was left of the once Jedi Knight, now an Exile, slip away and then fade altogether.

When he'd approached the rest of The Council with his concerns, they agreed that their little Anna Kai must have died. There was no other explanation. It was a difficult loss, but in the midst of the deadly Jedi Civil War that had followed the Mandalorian war there was no time to wonder about a lost Exile.

Master Kavar mourned the loss of this Exile much more deeply than he was prepared to admit to himself. They had been close, closer than they ought to have been even as master and apprentice. They had often spent time together simply discussing the ways and changes of the galaxy even if they were not engaged in Anna's training. Realizing this, fellow Council member Master Vrook had taken to issuing subtle warnings to his younger counterpart.

It would not have been the first time that a master or an apprentice felt inappropriate feelings for their teacher or student. The Council had watched vigilantly for signs that something inappropriate was about to happen between the pair. Kavar was beyond besotted; infatuated didn't seem strong enough and even Master Atris had even wondered aloud if Kavar was in love with his student. Anna had not noticed his changing feelings although it seemed quite clear even to the lowest student. Kai merely shrugged away the questioning of other female students, insisting that although she did enjoy spending time with Kavar, he was still her master and she was still his student.

Even now, years since Anna's disappearance, as Kavar worked in the royal palace of Onderon with the young queen Talia, he thought of her often. He remembered with vivid detail the sheer despair that had engulfed him when he had felt her fade away. As these memories flood back in, The Jedi Master paced the main corridor of the politically-embattled halls, ignoring the soldiers patrolling them. Like yesterday, he could recall his Exile telling him that she wanted to go to fight, to protect the Outer Rim worlds from the Mandalorian threat. He had remained silent through it all, but when she had finished speaking and left an awkward silence between them he had done the unforgivable.

He'd kissed her.

They had been standing in the middle of the conclave on Dantooine, surrounded by other people when he grabbed her shoulders, pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. The entire conclave seemed to have fallen silent in shock as they watched. She'd tasted of mint and strawberries.

Anna's slap had been powerful enough to knock him to the floor. She'd looked down on him with an incomprehensible mix of emotion in those big brown eyes then she simply walked away. They never saw each other privately after that, although the story of that kiss, was being told as far away as Korriban within weeks.. After she was exiled, when they met that last time, Kavar had apologised, but Anna would have none of it.

"One thing I've come to hate in myself and Jedi as a whole is that they hide their emotions even when they shouldn't. I am sorry I slapped you that day, but taken off guard. I'd never seen you as anything more as my friend and master though you've evidently seen more in our -" Anna had paused for a moment, "relationship."

One hand toyed with the black ribbon holding back her dark curls as she struggled for the right words. Master and apprentice had stood there for some time in silence until Anna looked back up at Kavar. "She's fallen, you know. Revan. Malak as well. They aren't going to stop now that the war is over." She'd stood there, dressed in black trousers and a blue shirt, and predicted the future - that Revan and Malak would not stop fighting, that they would come back and do it all again because, like the Jedi, they were too far removed to mourn those lost.

In Kavar's mind Anna was still that war-torn individual standing before him with her convictions, hard eyes and that mark from Malachor V that scored her once perfect face. He had known her for years as an intelligent, doll-like girl, but that was not how he remembered her. Even now he could see her as she had been that day, tired and in pain yet so adamant that she had been right.

He'd admired her more that day than he ever had and found that this change had only increased his desire for her. Even now, when he allowed his thoughts to wander unguarded, he wondered what would have happened if he had kissed her again that day and, if he had, would she have stayed? If she had stayed then what would she be like now? A calling to him returned Kavar to the present situation on Onderon. He pushed all thought of Anna Kai out of his mind and made his way to the throne room.

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Kavar was not the only Council member to remember Anna Kai quietly. Master Vrook also thought of her often. She not been his student but, unlike many, she did appear to understand the reasons behind his attitudes and grumpiness. She had been in the same group, the same class even, as Revan and Malak, despite being quite considerably younger. She had excelled in the organisation and understanding necessary to be a proper Jedi Knight, one who saw without judging. It set her apart from so many of her classmates.

Vrook had believed that Anna, of all people, would not join the war, but she had. She had made a very persuasive argument for it too, one that was much more agreeable than Revan's.. Anna had believed that if the Republic had been able to defeat the Mandalorians on their own, they would have, however the war so far had shown this not to be the case. The Republic, that had protected the Jedi Order at its weakest moment, now needed their help.

Kai felt they had to drive the Mandalorians to a stop before diplomacy could be effective Until then, the Mandalorians. would be unreachable behind their proud wall of warrior prowess, especially if they were winning battles. Even now as Vrook continued to teach students on Dantooine he wondered what would have happened had she had lead the fleet instead of Revan. Would things have turned out as badly?

Vrook strode across the grasslands surrounding the conclave as he continued to contemplate the current situation. The Council's plan was madness. For the first time since he had risen from the rank of padawan he had lost his temper and flown into a rage. He'd roared and shouted that rhese fools had forgotten the Exile's last words to them. She had not been furious, just tired, as she had simply asked that the deaths of her men be enough to stop Revan and Malak before there was another war. The Council had not listened and now the Jedi Civil War was upon them..

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Citadel Station

As her former masters struggled with civil war, Anna Kai found herself leagues away in a part of space that none of the eyes back home had ever seen. It had been a struggle adapting at first.

She had been found in the wreckage of a ship drifting on the outskirts of Citadel space. After being picked up by a turian spectre on the verge of retiring back to Palaven for a quiet life, she had been taken to the turian home planet. The Hierarchy had contacted the Human Systems Alliance with the few details they had been able to gleam from the wreckage. The Alliance was adamant that it didn't exist.

The reaction from the Alliance had caused surprise at the hospital where she was being held in seclusion. There were few on the planet who knew even the rudimentary requirements of human medical care but they all agreed on one point. That she ought to be dead. The Alliance refused to acknowledge her existence. The spectre who found her did not.

He paid for the necessary equipment be brought to Palaven. He was adamant that she was worth the effort. The Hierarchy brought her to the attention of the Citadel Council who offered to place her on a human colony. The human ambassador, Anita Goyle, agreed to the limited information she was given. The Hierarchy refused.

For just over a year she had been kept in hospital receiving only rudimentary care. The turian doctors and surgeons guessed how to repair lightsaber burns, the damage caused by force powers and the human illnesses that plagued her. They did well.

After the year she was as well as could expected, the spectre pulled strings and had her placed in a military training school. There she thrived. She did well by turian standards with exemplary skill in tactics, organization and being in a side-lined role. In spite of the difficult relations between humanity and the turians, she quickly proved herself.

She graduated with full honours the same year the spectre who had found her was recalled to the Citadel Station. She was asked to join the Citadel Fleet as the first and only serving human as Lieutenant. She arrived for duty dressed in the specially made uniform of the Hierarchy.

Several battles, very nearly a war and a lot of diplomatic wrangling later, she was now Commandant of the Citadel Station and Acting Admiral of the Citadel Fleet.

Anna Kai, deserter General of the Galactic Republic and exiled Jedi Knight had never felt more at home.

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Echoes of the pulsating music from Flux reverberated through the walls of the C-Sec offices where Executor Venari Pallin and Commandant Anna Kai sat drinking the finest liqueur from Palaven as they discussed the current events of Citadel Space. Together they speculated about the prototype Alliance ship that was meant to dock later that day. It had been designed and built in a joint effort of the Human Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy and was a source of pride for both groups.

Anna had just returned from a trip back to Palaven. She was granted mandatory one week of leave off the station every standard year. Every year she went to Palaven. Every year she brought Venari back a bottle of his favourite liqueur and they would both hide in his office and discuss what she'd missed.

Somehow the conversation turned to the probability of humanity gaining a seat on the Citadel Council, if their arrogant git of an ambassador didn't mess it up first. This brought to light Anna Kai's unique position of being human and yet... not human. She had served in the military forces of the Turian Hierarchy, the Asari Republics, and the Salarian Union as required before taking her current position but never among humans and the humans on the Citadel tended to leave a lot to be desired. Her position as Commandant was only semi-open. It wasn't secret, she just didn't tell anyone her exact rank.

Commandant was the highest rank available in Citadel Space although it was not the position many thought it to be. It effectively meant that she was a pencil pusher or data wrangler, and nothing more. She was also as close to a neutral party as possible which was why she was in charge of the station, The threat of the Commandant taking action held a weight that could quiet particularly radical sects on the Citadel with minimal disruption. It was a threat that no one in Citadel enforcement wanted weakened by excessive revelation of the person behind the position. Considering the overlapping business between Citadel Security and the Commandant, Venari Pallin and Anna Kai were good friends.

"Madam Commandant." greeted one of the younger C-Sec officers as he knocked his superior's door. Though the Commandant was widely a source of speculation, younger officers meeting her in person never looked any further than the coat of her uniform which was currently hung over the back of her chair. They knew that she was human but they'd never be able to pick her out of a group without her uniform.

As the officer and Pallin discussed Fist's transactions with known spice dealers, Commandant Kai allowed her mind to drift. She was happy on the Citadel, happier than she'd ever been. The enclaves had always been vaguely claustrophobic. Fighting the war had been horrific, but now here she was. Anna rolled her tongue across her lips and thought of Kavar and his kiss.. That kiss continued to be her first and only and sometimes she wished she had kissed back. Suddenly she realised that Venari was speaking to her. "Sorry, I wasn't listening."

Pallin threw her an odd look. He had always appreciated her turian-like response of owning up to her own decisions and mistakes but lately she hadn't seemed herself. "What were you thinking of that distracted you so?"

"Something back in the Republic." She ran her hands through her hair, ruffling it. "Kissing my master before I left for war although I suppose he kissed me." She gulped down the rest of the burning liquid in her glass as Venari watched.

"There has been news that the woman I served under, Revan, has been betrayed and killed by her apprentice. I think I'm still trying to figure out if I'm ecstatic that she's dead or furious that I didn't have the opportunity to kill her myself but, please, let us speak no more of it." She didn't like talking about life back in the Republic. She also happened to be a lightweight when it came to drinking and when she was drinking her mouth tended to runaway with her. It made her feel cowardly until she thought of Revan and then she'd feel furious at everyone and everything for no reason whatsoever.

Venari knew better than to pry and allowed her to pull herself from the past before he continued to talk about General Septimus and the Consort's falling out.

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A few hours later and several drinks later, a rather tipsy Anna Kai made her back towards her apartment holding her blue heels alongside a folder of assorted documents. Coming up the steps from C-Sec, she was lost in her thoughts of Revan. when she collided with something. Or rather someone.

Anna fell first. Whoever it was that she'd hit landed on top of her with a large thump, his flailing limbs caught under hers as their heads collided, making them both wince. Anna cursed as the sobering pain cleared her head enough for her to realise that what she had at first registered as extra limbs were in fact crutches.

The man she had collided with was an Alliance soldier, dressed in regulation blues s. Under them were metallic frames. Anna's shoes and folder – which now open and displaying a dozen or so sheets of plastic-modified paper full of top secret details– lay beside a baseball cap a few metres away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: A Voluntary Practically Blind Date

Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko watched in amusement as Joker struggled to put on his 'good' black dress shoes dressed in black trousers and a dark blue shirt liberated from Kaidan's hastily opened suitcase. The rest of the quarters looked like a bomb had hit it with various items of clothing sitting in piles at various points around the room with others flung about and left where they landed. Impressive as they were the only people who'd come board so far and Kaidan was only on the ship five minutes. They were in their quarters on their newly assigned ship, the Normandy, and while the rest of the crew were still due to turn up to receive orders, Joker was getting ready to leave.

On a date. A bind date. Sort of.

It had been at that point that Kaidan had looked at his friend's frayed t-shirt and started to open his own suitcase delving into its inner depths, adamant that you had to try a little harder than that if you were going on a date.

Kaidan had served with the sarcastic git of a pilot before and they had struck up a friendship in the medbay. They'd also be sharing quarters during this assignment due to their shared medical issues. They didn't mind. It may have meant having to report for duty before the rest of the crew but the perks were worth it. Kaidan's migraines meant that they got decent lighting and Joker's crutches and that meant they got the largest room on ship excepting the captain's, and a much larger bathroom.

All the same, the ever early Lieutenant had been surprised to find from a turian engineer who was finishing up some last minute tests on the finer details on the contamination seal that a limping human had arrived almost a standard hour earlier and asked if it was possible to go on early. Kaidan had instantly gone to find Joker. Partially due to his crutches and partially due to his terrible time keeping, the pilot was never on time never mind early unless he had to be. Finding their shared quarters he had found his friend showered and dressing to leave.

"You _can't_ leave you idiot, you have to mingle and make small talk with the new crew you dipstick." Kaidan had reminded him. It was one of the most tedious and awkward things that had to be done when you were reassigned to a new ship especially if it was an entire new crew. Joker had shrugged it off and then told his friend about his date.

Several days earlier, after he'd been checked his legs for any injuries, of which there hadn't been any mainly due to falling on top of the girl, he'd swung around to roar at her - "I was absolutely furious because there had been all those gits from the Assaye in Flux and they'd annoyed me to hell." It was then that he's realised that she was in a much worse state than him. Blood was running the length of her leg from a rather deep wound on her thigh, there had been a gash in her face and her nose was bleeding rather badly –"and the more I looked the more blood there was."

On top of that she was still gasping for air and gone incredibly pale. She was so busy trying to grab the sheets of paper – and who used paper in this day and age anyway? - that she didn't seem to have noticed. He'd introduced himself and she'd recognised his name from his test scores which had made him blush.

Yes, the arrogant, sarky, prickly git of a man had blushed because a girl was nice to him

She was gorgeous, brown eyes, brown curly hair which must have reached her waist easily and,well, she was hot. She'd introduced herself as Anna Kai as he passed over some of the sheets of paper and she'd seemed very sweet.

When a rather steely turian, a pretty old one as far as he could tell and there was something about the way he walked that screamed importance, had arrived and demanded what was going on Joker had felt more than slightly apprehensive. She'd turned to the turian and said, 'Nothing Venari, I knocked him over that's all,' and tried to get to her feet. The turian had lifted Joker up from the floor in one smooth movement, handed him his crutches and only just caught the girl when she stumbled. He picked her up before ruffling her hair as she tried to swat him away and Joker swore he thought he was going to pass away quietly where he stood.

"Really Kaidan, you want to see this girl she's a slip of nothing with brown curls and big doe brown eyes and she's swatting away this turian like a overprotective big brother.."He'd spread medigel on most of her wounds - "If the Terra Firma lot or even bigger freaks had gotten their hands on it they'd have gone mad!" -and offered to walk her home. She'd agreed but then turned to Joker and offered to take him to dinner this evening, a few nights after the incident, to make up for it.

"I already asked Captain Anderson to be excused from the party tonight and he said it was fine." Kaidan brushed back his hair and laughed.

"You like this girl, don't you?." Joker went very quiet and nodded slowly. Kaidan whooped.

"Joker has a crush, Joker has a crush -" Fortunately before Joker clobbered him to death with his crutches, Kaidan's chanting was interrupted.

A voice echoed through the empty corridors and Kaidan made his way up to where the engineer had been before. There was another older turian with him now, one that the engineer was not prepared to so much as risk looking at and an older lady with a sharp grey bob standing there looking somewhat confused. Her outfit put her down as a doctor so Kaidan assumed she was the ship's doctor. She seemed nice enough although both she and Kaidan gave the two turians plenty of space to finish their work. As a result she and Kaidan found themselves pulling funny faces and trying not to laugh, the unofficial pastime of anyone trying to be as innocuous as possible for any length of time.

The doctor waited until the turians left giving them a polite nod before turning to Kaidan.

"Doctor Francesca Chakwas reporting for duty. Am I early?"

"Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, Doctor, sorry about the madness. I think so." The doctor surveyed the Normandy apparently absorbing all the detail. Her face creased as a thought occurred to her.

"The serviceman with L2 migranes?" Kaidan nodded and shouted to Joker to get his ass into gear if he didn't want to be late. When Joker reached the doorway she grinned and Joker laughed.

"Frannie! Lovely to see you!" Doctor Chakwas threw him a filthy look.

"Don't call me Frannie, Jeffrey, or I'll box your ears." Joker grinned.

"I see you've already met my good friend Kaidan. Kaidan, this is Doctor Frannie the most formidable lady in the Alliance Fleets. We served together on the Jutland." Introductions on a friendlier setting where made with the good doctor revealing that rumour had it that the famous Captain Anderson and the equally famous Commander Shepard were to lead the crew. Kaidan and Joker spent several minutes assuring her that Captain Anderson was really going to be on board. Soon Kaidan was telling him to get going again.

"You will give them my, I don't know, hello?" remarked Joker before being interrogated by the good doctor into where he was going and why was he abandoning her and Kaidan to the forced politeness of one of these get-togethers without his sharp tongue for a little light relief. Kaidan began to chant again until Joker did clobber him with his left crutch. Joker assured Frannie Chakwas that Kaidan would be happy to fill her in.

A few minutes later Kaidan Alenko and Francesca Chakwas waved off Joker who couldn't decide if he was looking forward or dreading the meeting with the pretty girl after Francesca Chakwas had squealed like a teenager and demanded to know all the details when he came back and had almost passed out when he'd been told just where his date would take place.

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Meanwhile Anna was also expressing doubts over her decision to offer dinner to the Flight Lieutenant. Sha'ira watched from where she was perched at the end of the double bed which was covered in a rather pretty if plain lilac sheet while Anna delved into her wardrobe for what must have been the hundredth time.

The consort had come flying over to her friend's apartment when she'd been told that Anna had issued an invite to Helios to an Alliance flyboy. Even now as she took in all the details of the bedroom she continued to try to get the idea of Anna actively inviting someone with whom she could possible have intimate relations with to Helios which was very out of character for her As far as Sha'ira was concerned there were several reasons to be apprehensive.

One, Helios was massively expensive even when you considered her astronomical pay checks not to mention that Anna was always very careful with her money and, two, what would possess the usually shy Commandant ask a guy out on whim because the Anna she knew was brilliant at taking decisive action in politics, battle and business but not in personal matters. It was much more like Anna to oh and ah over the consequences for several days if not weeks before coming to a decision.

Even more than that was that her choice in perspective partner was a mere flyboy, a regular Alliance military pilot, when she was one first name terms with the most influential and richest people in Citadel space although, having said that, it was probably just as well she'd chosen a human. Anna had more than enough turian friends, and she knew for a fact that more than one found her vaguely attractive despite being a different species altogether simply because they'd stopped seeing her as different.

Now she watched Anna attempt to decide what to wear as if that was an issue, she was influential and as she had dinner in Helios once a month with the Citadel Council no one was going to argue with her. She was too knowledgeable. Apparently Fist, the current troublemaker in the lower wards had claimed that no matter how secretive he was he was always taxed the exact proportion of every penny he made, legally or otherwise although he had no idea how the ever so secretive Commandant managed it. Anna flung a balled up pair of socks towards the appropriate drawer on the other side of the room.

"I don't know what made me do it, really Sha'ira I don't, all apologies had been given and all that so what made me ask him to dinner?" She held up a dress but instantly discarded it for being too dressed up. "What about this?" She held up a dark green dress which reached her knee at which Sha'ira nodded. Anna then delved in to find her shoes to go with them - "boots or shoes? Flat or high?"

"Flat if he has bad legs, he won't need you skittering around, what about those amber boots? After all it is officially winter, you can wear that striped scarf as well if you're going to the Helios." was the asari's response as she read through a datapad regaling the the heights of society on Earth on the bed, not that she would ever admit to it. "Not to mention the poor thing is probably having a heart attack at the idea of meeting a girl he barely knows on a date. So that with your hair down should make it seem more casual." Anna gaped at her friend.

"It is _not_ a date!"

"Sure, that's what you say. You asked him to dinner in the poshest place on the station. I can't afford to go there on a regular basis never mind a regular pilot. Everyone else will hear that nice, pretty little Anna Kai was seen at dinner with an older man, and goddess know it will get out after all we are on the Citadel, and they will think its a date. After all not many people know your rank but you are a well known face sweetie. Anyway what will you care? He'll be in space soon so he won't get any hassle apart from his crew mates so it will be fine."

Sha'ira looked up and seen Anna chewing at her lip as she looked back into the wardrobe and suddenly became very concerned. Anna never let personal matters get to her and here was a man she barely knew getting her all caught up. She around the rather empty bedroom and turned to ask her friend an all too important question.

"Is he cute?" Anna came to a full stop as she thought about it throwing a look at a somewhat battered baseball cap on the bed as she remembered the beard and bright eyes.

"I guess." Sha'ira grinned as she turned back to the magazine remarking,

"You have a crush on him." To her surprise Anna smiled a dazzling smile, looking back at the baseball cap on the bed, and nodded before stripping to her underwear and pulling the dress over her head. Sha'ira made a mental note to find out exactly who this flyboy was.

************************************

The waiting staff of Helios were in the bathroom every three minutes, checking their appearance

and throwing up with nerves as necessary. As the clientèle of the restaurant included the most important people in Citadel space most staff usually got hit with an attack of nerves when they seen someone they recognised.

The restaurant was decorated in the soothing tones of pale browns and greens with each table covered in a crisp white table cloth giving it an air of what humans called sophistication and the Salarians perceived to be neat. There were a few diners, a rather elderly human couple, a small group of salarians and a larger group of volus discussing the financial market.

The head waitress, a rather charming asari called Asuka, stood at her post looking out for the figure of Miss Kai in the crowd. Rumour had it that she was coming on a date rather than her usual dinner guests of the Citadel Council and she was dying to see who the ever so shy and proper little Miss Kai had brought on a date. Suddenly she became aware of a man standing before her, dressed in a shirt and trousers, leaning heavily on crutches and looking at her in vague confusion and something resembling pain as he shifted on his legs.

"I know this is going to sound strange but I'm here to meet Miss Anna Kai." She looked up rather amazed that this rather scruffy man dressed in a shirt which seemed slightly too big with brown eyes looking distinctly uncomfortable leaning heavily on crutches and under the bottom of his trousers there was evidence of some sort of frames. He wasn't near meeting the dress code but there was no way she was going to argue.

"No problem, this is the your table." She pulled out a chair at the especially prepared table with extra room around it and an especially shortened table cloth as a familiar face turned the corner. To Asuka's astonishment he suddenly gripped her arm as he slipped into the chair. He noticed her sudden winch and suddenly looked very apologetic.

"I'm sorry, my balance isn't great especially trying to sit down or stand up. Ah, can you tell me what she's like? Do you know her?" Asuka nodded as she handed him a drinks menu motioning another waiter to address their newest arrival, the Salarian Second Fleet Admiral.

"She's very determined, charming and polite. Doesn't stand for nonsense when it comes to business although other than being something of a secretary between various bodies on the station I'm not absolutely sure what she does but socially she's very charming although the consort Sha'ira knows her best." Asuka decided she rather liked this human, it was nice to see them so insecure but so earnest. A lot of the humans who came here were very pretentious. She motioned for a drink to be brought from the bar and told him it was her pleasure to give it to him free of charge.

"Don't get me wrong, she is lovely. Practically turian or asari in a lot of ways but recently she has been distracted. So its nice that she's invited you here. It's nice to see." Asuka realised just how much she had said and blushed a rather sweet green. Joker nodded and they both turned as they heard the admiral greet Miss Kai closer to the entrance. Asuka's eyes widened and Joker suppressed the urge to wolf whistle. For there was the rather pretty little lady herself dressed as informally as her guest.

*********************************

Anna sat opposite Flight Lieutenant Moreau and was glad that she'd taken Sha'ira's advice. He hadn't dressed appropriately for Helios although he had definitely made an effort. Asuka, the head waitress, had made a hasty but as always elegant retreat after handing them their menus with a wink to Joker. Joker shifted in his seat and was suddenly aware of the brown eyes looking at him and he blushed. Anna, realising she was making him uncomfortable also blushed.

"I am sorry. I'm not used to dealing with humans, socially that is, at least not for a long time." She rattled off breathlessly. He quirked an eyebrow at this remark but smiled. "Oh yes, I found this." She started to root through her bag and pulled out his beloved baseball cap.

"Brilliant! I thought I'd left it on the Kilimanjaro and if I had there would have been no way I'd have seen it again. It was much too big for my liking and I don't think the Destiny Ascension would be to my liking at all."

"The dreadnought?"she asked as a waiter placed a glass of an unusual blue substance before her.

"Yup, my last assignment before the Norman -" he broke off mentally slapping himself for bringing up the prototype ship. So much for secrecy. Fortunately she laughed at his discomfort.

"The Normandy? I do live on the Citadel, Flight Lieutenant, I do know about the Alliance's pet project with the Hierarchy."

"Joker." was his stiff reply as he attempted to read the menu. It seemed to be mainly turian dishes although his stomach lurched as he realised that bangers and mash was on it.

"Sorry?"

"Call me Joker, my name is Jeff, well Jeffrey, but no one apart from my parents and sisters and Doctor Chakwas call me that."

"So you're the sod that calls her Frannie and lives to tell the tale?" She giggled. "I remember her telling old Doctor Rufus the story when I was in medbay with fractured ribs. Please call me Anna."

Conversation seemed to come easy enough as they spoke about the usual topics of politics on the station, the effect of the L3 implants on human biotics and the mysterious Shadow Broker about whom Joker was especially interested. Anna had laughed said that she's bought and sold information to him on a regular basis as she knew more about the informal side of the Citadel affairs than anyone else and he always gave her a good rate, usually going through Barla Von in the Financial Sector who was the best known Broker Operative.

They'd discussed the ships they'd served on and Joker told her how the unusual friendship between the arrogant sarcastic sod of a pilot and the quiet, demure gentleman of a lieutenant had begun during their posting on the N.V.V. Verdun.

******************* *******************

The N.V.V. Verdun had been a frigate like the Normandy but only just so it had had a much larger crew than the Normandy was scheduled to have, over one hundred including the predominately L3 biotic teams who were being test driven before some big drive to recruit known L3 biotics in the colonies. Unfortunately the larger crew had meant that the two 'invalids' as they'd been nicknamed had stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs.

Although it was not widely acknowledged L3 biotics had a tendency to view L2 biotics as redundant, a failed prototype of which they were the successful version. The three biotic teams would never have openly gone against Kaidan as he was their superior officer but that didn't mean that they didn't show their dislike in other ways. They would talk down to Kaidan, whisper about him and, most insulting of all, questioned his ability to do his job. Originally they had questioned his abilities as a biotic but that wasn't an issue to Kaidan the way it was to the L3s.

So the rest of the crew would whisper about Joker's deficiencies when he wouldn't eat in the mess if it was busy or on the rare occasions they seen him tooter around the ship on his crutches. Although Joker had somewhat proved his worth by -somehow- managing to use a mass relay after his co-pilot screwed up the approach things didn't really approve especially after Kaidan had one of his most severe migraines during a planet side mission. Kaidan had managed to fulfill the mission and get the teams back on the ship but only just before passing out.

Things had been pretty dire for a few weeks with the cockpit being their only place of respite as no one dared argue with Joker when he was behind the controls. Even the doctor, a grumpy hard-headed runt by the name of Steele, had argued that his time should have been better served fixing up injured fit soldiers not them two.

One evening after a few particularly bad weeks when some of the biotic teams had been openly arguing with Kaidan's orders someone had tripped up Joker while he'd been trying to get dinner. It was then that Kaidan had realised that the rest of the crew had most likely underestimated just how severe his case of Vrolik's Syndrome had been. The cracking had echoed throughout the ship, fortunately Joker passed out cold, several people had puked as they seen Joker's legs splinter in all four directions with the bone going through the skin in several places and the actual fall doing even more damage.

It was then that sweet, calm, compassionate Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, already on the edge of a migraine, lost his temper. It was also then that the biotic teams discovered why Kaidan had never taken any notice of them questioning his abilities. Kaidan Alenko could throw around nearly as much energy as a trained asari without breaking a sweat. In this condition, known to be a dangerous state even for L3s, he threw around a hell of a lot more.

According to Joker, who had it off a record of the formal investigation that occurred afterwards for Kaidan couldn't remember much more than searing pain, one of the L3 biotics – a real silver-spoon spoilt boy called Harvey Wheeler who just happened to be Kaidan's cocky second in command – made the mistake of attempting to kick Joker while hurling abuse at Kaidan saying that if it wasn't for people like them then humanity would be ruling the galaxy not sucking up to aliens.

Wheeler was flung so hard he went through three internal partitions. Meanwhile while the shield Kaidan had flung up around him and Joker was so strong all three biotic teams combined hadn't been able to break through it. When Wheeler, this time joined by some of his buddies, made a second attempt Kaidan flung them so hard they went through the hull of the ship.

Fortunately the Verdun had been docked on Eden Prime at the time so with the exception of those who went through the hull there were no fatalities. Joker healed slowly back on Arcturus which had been fine apart from his mum and younger sister, Suzanne, fussing over absolutely every minute detail, begging him to resign from the navy and come back and live with them and be safe.

Some of those who were part of the biotic teams tried to have offences brought against Kaidan but it was then revealed that Kaidan had been the leader for the exact reason that, with the exception of his migraines, he was the ideal biotic. On top of that he was sensible whereas a lot of biotics tended to be a lot more irrational and so the idea of solely biotic teams was scrapped. Kaidan had come to visit Joker in hospital in Arcturus before taking mandatory leave at home in Vancouver and even when they had been assigned to separate ships they'd stayed in touch. Now, almost ten years later they were best friends.

By the time the story was finished, Anna had kept interrupting for details, they'd eaten their way through their main courses of bangers and mash for Joker and some turian berry sludge stuffed in what looked like an omelette for Anna. She'd offered some to him and he found it was nice, sweet but yummy. She liked how his eyes shone not only at his own achievements but also at his friend's, like how he had forgotten where he was and chatted like a friend at a bar and, most of all, liked his infectious smile.

Joker was also pleased in how his dinner partner had turned out, tossing and twirling her hair as she listened with those big eyes intense in interest, arguing passionately about the more mundane matters like the problems with a large frigate crew and how she hadn't asked just how he managed with such bad legs. Asuka asked if they'd like dessert or coffee. They decided on both at the same second.

Asuka returned to the kitchen and handed the order to the manager with a grin across her face.

"I told you, they're mad about each other." she informed the kitchen staff before scooping up her winnings and dancing around the room.

Meanwhile Francesca Chakwas had taken residence next to Kaidan Alenko at the rather formal informal meet and greet. Commander Jane Shepard was present, swallowed by the crowd of new insubordinates which surrounded her. The human ambassador was talking the ear off a rather sober Captain Anderson to one side. The engineer and navigator were evidently old companions, both seemed rather old school, but they were discussing what sounded like every fish they had ever caught. No one noticed the two of them off to the side.

It had been pleasant enough, well, with the exception of the ambassador but that couldn't be helped. They both wanted to know how Joker's date was going. Both knew that Joker hated the idea of trying to get close to someone of the opposite sex due to his condition. Kaidan wasn't sure if Joker remembered as he'd been three sheets to the wind when he'd admitted it one night in a bar watching Shepard on the news. Kaidan had called her hot. Joker rather morosely had admitted that he made a point of trying to not see women as attractive. After all his disease effected all his bones but especially below the waist and what kind of girl would be interested in a guy like that. It had always stuck in Kaidan's mind because he's never sounded so bitter before or since.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: 'Knights of the Old Republic' belong to Lucas Arts and Bioware. 'Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords' belongs to Lucas Arts and Obsidian. 'Mass Effect' belongs to Bioware. I just had great pleasure trying to meld them together.

Author's Note: Thank you so much to Vshard, Mister Buch and Knightfall with their help and inspiration. I know this chapter is still a little tatty but I'll only end up throwing the computer across the room if I try to tidy it up any longer.

Chapter Three: When Alcohol Begins to Take Effect – Remove Yourself From Any Compromising Scenarios.

By the time they had received their whiskey laced coffee Anna had admitted that she wasn't part of the Alliance but said the rest was much too complicated to explain but that she had served in the turian military before being transferred to the asari biotic teams for training and then to the Salarian special units before being granted a position on the Citadel.

"Its sounds rather exotic I guess but really all I do is keep things running, make appointments, keep everyone on a level playing field which is why I do so much business with Shadow Broker. Right now I'm kept busy with applications from the human embassy with applications for a seat on the Citadel Council. I don't think they realise just why they've not been successful so far but I'm sorry let's talk about something else."

So they'd talked about their childhoods. Anna had explained how she had been raised by a monastic order since she had been a young child, to be a diplomat and a source of good work but how she'd found the life somewhat too stifling and had joined the military instead as an advisor before making her way to the Citadel.

Joker had explained how his parents had always wanted a son in how, in that respect, he felt he was a disappointment. He had an older sister, Elise, in her late forties married with two children in their teens but they didn't speak much. They'd fallen out when he'd revealed that he was joining the Alliance navy. There was a younger sister in her late teens, not much more than a kid, Suzanne, but they didn't get on much either.

"I think my parents would have been happier if I'd despaired rather than try to make something of myself. You know lived with them my whole life and complained how unfair my life was. When I was born it was obvious that I was never going to be anything like my father, he was a successful sportsman when he was young before going into local politics on Arcturus, you know civilian spokesperson and that type of thing.

At first, they'd thought that there'd be a cure. That someone would turn up with a syringe and I'd be healthy. After all medical advances have been huge in the last few decades. The specialist they went to when I was six months old pointed out that the fact I was even alive was a result of modern medicine. Ten years, even five years, earlier I wouldn't have made it to term. Looking back I know that the care must have cost them a fortune, Elise used to hate my guts when we were small because I had everything given to me and because I took up so much of their time.

When I was four they send me to a specialist school for less than healthy children. I wasn't happy there. Other than my legs breaking, there was nothing wrong with me and most of the children there had . . . mental issues, not physical ones. When I was eleven the school told my parents that I would be better off in a regular school. They sent me to an all boys school, within two months I was top of the class and that was when it occurred to me that despite my legs I was still just as good if not better than other people at the things I enjoyed.

When I was thirteen we were given a trip around an Alliance dreadnought which was about to be decommissioned. The last ship which had been in battle against the turians in the First Contact War -" Anna shook her head gently and Joker raised an eyebrow but continued his story - "Anyway I loved the ship, the Defender of Nations it was called, brought into service when they were still giving ships all those great dramatic names. What I especially loved was the cockpit, it was just everything I ever wanted to do, and best of all the pilot sat down so there was no reason why I couldn't do it. Not to mention that if I did join the Alliance I'd receive free health care and then I wouldn't need to rely on my parents.

I said I wanted to join up there and then but I don't think anyone took me seriously. I joined the Alliance Navy when I turned eighteen just after Suzanne was born. She hadn't been expected but the new baby also meant that my parents got off my back a bit. I received a free scholarship to study maths because I had the highest exam result in maths , before I would be considered as a candidate for a position in the piloting school and I knew that I had to prove to them that I could be self-reliant.

My parents weren't too happy but at the same time they were overjoyed that they could boast about me at last. They didn't think I'd be accepted as a pilot. I didn't come back, apart from attending Elise's wedding, a massive top hat and truffle affair , until after I completed a degree and a masters in maths. When I came back my mum showed me how she'd redone my room and when I seen it – still with the extra padded everything - I told her I had been given special circumstances and accepted to train as a pilot.

My mum asked me why did I want to do all that for when I could stay with her and my dad for as long as I wanted. The more I tried to explain that this was what I wanted the more upset they became wanting to know why I wanted to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the galaxy when they'd tried to keep me safe for so long.

When Elise found out she went ballistic but not for the same reasons, well there was the whole 'they-looked-after-you-your-whole-life-and-this-is-how-you-repay-them' speech as well as the 'your-not-healthy-enough-your-too-weak-to-be-of-any-use' bit. She also asked me who was going to look out for them when Suzanne was married. I realised then that as far as they saw I was never going to have a 'proper' grown up life. I'd never be able to have children and they didn't see why any girl would have any interest in me so they'd assumed that I'd be there to look after my parents.

I told Elise to go to hell. That if I was accepted then I was going and that was it. She hasn't spoken to me since. I get pictures through my mother of her two kids, two girls, and news of how she is. Suzanne hated my guts until I was sent to the station after what happened on the Verdun and even now she talks but its frosty. I think it came as a shock to them when Kaidan walked into the room, and damn can he be smooth when he wants to be, and said that I was the best pilot he'd ever served with and they must be so proud of me. I nearly puked but Suzanne ate it up. My mum talks to me once a month, maybe, for news and that's it."

Joker stopped and mentally slapped himself stupid. He was pretty sure that your depressing life's story was not the best topic of conversation for a date, if it was a date. His head swam. How much had they had to drink?

"That's horrible but you've proved that you're an exceptional pilot, one of the best ever to fly from this station in fact, surely your sister sees that you can stand on your own two feet even if it is difficult?"

Joker shrugged as he scrapped ice-cream from his bowl and Anna took this as a sign to change the conversation. They made small talk again as they went from desert to coffee for Joker and some kind of tea for Anna. Unfortunately they reached the First Contact War and fell into silence when Joker became aware of her somewhat unusal perception of the conflict.

It was really rather late and with the exception of this pair and a particularly rowdy engagement party at the other side of the room the rest on of the diners who had come in that evening were preparing to leave or had already left. Asuka was already having concerns about persuading the other lot to leave at closing time. She was also all too aware that Mister Moreau was rather tipsy and that Miss Kai was drunk. Not too drunk but the girl was lighweight.

She had one of the waiters bring them fresh strong coffee to sober them up a little. Anna shrugged and twirled a bit of hair around her fingers. Joker took a very long slurp of coffee as two long, elegant cups were sat in front of them along with delicate biscuits and a small dish with a script around the side. Anna noticed he was looking at it as she stirred her cup.

"It's a blessing in Salarian." she remarked before taking a drink. Joker, glad for a change in topic looked up at the mischievous brown eyes. She dunked a biscuit into the tea and nibbled at it.

"What does it say?" Anna looked at the dish again and thought briefly unaware that Joker was using the time to study her a little deeper. The way she sat very straight showed that she definitely had some military experience although not with the Alliance obviously so although she was human, she wasn't their type of human if that made any sense whatsoever. She had a scar which ran down the side of her face although it was difficult out make out at first and very long lashes.

"Good eating." Joker's head jerked up as he was disturbed from his thoughts. Anna smiled. "The writing on the dish means good eating." Joker smiled and it was then that they realised that pretty much every one else had left and it was late. As Joker reached down for his crutches he was somewhat surprised that Anna hadn't reached for them first, people tended to. Instead she lifted her bag and scarf, stuffing the scarf into the bag.

She was trying to push the fact that she was rather unsteady on her feet out of her mind.

When they were both standing they thanked the waiting staff and apologised for staying so late which was waved away pointing out that there were still a large group of women who had to leave. Joker looked across at them and shuddered. He'd served with them on the Kilimanjaro and they were like banshees, always laughing over filthy jokes and spent a lot of their time drunk when they were on leave. They always left to 'lunch' all dressed to the nines and then would stagger in hours later completely out of their heads, supposedly one or two of them even had a spice problem. He vaguely remembered one getting engaged and was due to give up her position in the fleet to go home and make babies. Unfortunately as they turned to leave one of the women looked up and recognised him.

"Pilot Joker! What are you doing here?" It was Tara Delaney, the last person in the galaxy Joker wanted to see although it also explained how a group of Alliance technicians could afford a night out at a place like this. She was a member of an old money family, who hadn't taken too kindly to they called the interference of aliens on humanity especially the economy which their families had vast stakes in.

When Tara Delaney, the darling of the New York social circuit, had taken a job in the Alliance Navy as a technician it had been a scandal at least until it turned out she had joined up to impress a man who had also served before leaving to care for his young son and that she still expected to be treated like unofficial royalty which was never going to happen in any military.

Rumour had it that she was planning to finish her four year tour as quickly as possible before going home to mummy and daddy to nab a rich husband, as apparently the man she'd joined up to impress had married someone else, well his son's nanny, which had been something of a body blow which Joker and several other members of the Kilimanjaro crew had taken great amusement in.

He put on a weak smile, Asuka, the waitress looked mortified and Anna just appeared rather bemused. The girl, after all she was still in her late twenties or early thirties, staggered up to the group attempting to come across as the socialite she had once been, dressed in a rather over ruffled dress of a floaty chiffon which reached her knees making her look like she was dressed in her nightie and was stained with red wine and Joker nearly passed out at the fumes coming from her mouth. She was drunk, very drunk. Absolutely plastered, off her face, sozzled. Bugger.

"Good evening Tara." The girl in question swayed on the spot before jabbing a red painted finger at Anna who stood slightly behind him as her vague and polite confusion suddenly looked somewhat more disgusted as well as rather amused.

"Who is she? Are you on a date skinny-legs?" Asuka nearly died of horror. Helios was known to be discreet but this pretentious, spoilt runt was destroying that reputation in front of one of the most influential individuals on the station. Anna's eyes darkened and she stood straighter, more as though she was looking a particularly unpleasant political acquaintance whom she didn't like. Joker looked more than slightly pissed off gripping tightly at his crutches. He wasn't serving with her any more so there was no reason to be nice tonight at least. Even her group of friends had gone very quiet watching the confrontation with drunken, glazed eyes.

Brilliant, the fact he'd been out with a girl on the Citadel was going to be all over the entire damn navy by tomorrow morning so he figured he may as well go down fighting. Not to mention he knew where Tara's jugular was, there were perks to being in charge of the comm system after all.

"As a matter of fact we are, which was going very well until we came across you and your coven. Tell me Tara does Andrews know that he'll be essentially be marrying you and your harpies as well as his intended bride to be? I can't imagine all you fitting into the marriage bed so you'll either have to all breathe in or or stop eating for a week or two." snapped back Joker with his acidic tongue. Tara went every red before storming off back to the table muttering the words 'my daddy'.

The group of women turned to offer their comfort to Tara but several of them also looked as though Christmas had come early with Tara finally getting her comeuppance.

Asuka apologised even offering another dinner at another time or anything else that they'd like but both he and Anna told her it wasn't her fault that Tara was drunk and there was no harm caused. Asuka admitted that none of that particular group would be welcome in the establishment again.

When they found themselves outside the restaurant and in the wards, they looked at each other, unsure what they were to do now. Dinner was easy, you ate and talked but now they had no idea what to do. Anna wondered if she should offer to walk him to the docks but that wouldn't be right, he'd probably take offence while Joker wondered if he'd be able to walk her home. In the end they both burst into fits of giggles when the silence got to be too much.  
"Where do you live?"he asked as he somewhat awkwardly as he stood next to her in the lift down to the central level.

"Down here, my job means that I have a place near the Citadel Tower. It's on your way to the Alliance docks so why don't we walk together?" They turned and made their way through the presidum which looked as beautiful as always as well as nice and quiet. They discussed various odds and ends, how terrible Tara had behaved with Joker filling Anna in with Tara's humiliation involving her all too public love life and how horrendous it had been to serve with her.

Anna described her least favourite commanding officer. She didn't mention Revan's name at first, or that she had been human, just remarked on how she would expect everyone in the room to be privy to the same information which they weren't or her habit of issuing increasingly harsh commands to lackeys on the bridge to see how far they'd go before questioning them.

He asked where she had served, where she had been before coming to the Citadel as she was not from this part of space, was she? Anna had blinked at his perceptiveness and figured that she could tell him enough of the truth without all the gory details as they walked. Unfortunately the amount she'd had to drink meant she told him the entire story. Gory bits and all. She found talking to Joker somewhat therapeutic and found herself telling him more than she had originally intended to. She told him how once, just one, Revan had tried to do the same thing to her.

"I was a general back in the Republic, that's what we called a loose collection of planets with economic ties, despite having no previous military experience, because I had previous experience of, well, I suppose you could call it a monastic order like I said earlier. I'd only just completed by time as a student there when the war broke out and we were forbidden to go but some of us did. We were trained to be politicians, diplomats and in some ways we were meant to be like Spectres here in Citadel space, to attend to problems and to solve them or get rid of them. We were sometimes tacticians but we were very poor solders although we thought otherwise at the time."

"Revan was an incredibly talented tactician, the war was being lost before she joined the effort, but she was also a terrible leader. She didn't care how many died as long as it got results. I went too but although I followed her we went for different reasons and we quickly went our different ways. In fact after the first battle on a jungle moon in the mid-rim. I lead my fleet and she, with other members of the order who had gone too, concentrated on the overall war effort. The plan she proposed for one battle meant the loss of at least seventy percent of the forces who took part. When she put this before me as the general of the fleet, I told her to go to hell, there was no way I would be prepared to lose so many troops for what was effectively pointless fight. That I would be the one to send back personal effects and condolences so I would decide what was worth their lives. That backward moon wasn't. Although we weren't deployed on the moon, I had made an enemy of Revan. I later found out that she had intended to raise the projected death count to see when I would object but she hadn't figured to me objecting to seventy percent losses."

"The last battle was at the end of the known galaxy for us then. She left my fleet to fight the last, desperate ships and forces of our opponents with no intelligence. She expected us to be massacred and we were but not by our enemy. When we so sure that we would not be decimated, that this time we might survive for another battle if not for victory, Revan contacted me from her flagship waiting with the rest of the force as near as possible while remaining safe. She said that I was to use the generator or she would bomb the world where we had been trained, Dantooine. It was a land of colonists, farmers and students, children. So I ordered it turned on. It destroyed the gravity field of the planet and in turn it wrecked both fleets, ripping the life from those on board. Over seven million people died there in total and of both sides, at my hand, less than twenty, including myself and the technician ordered to build it, survived."

"When I was fit enough I returned to the order. They exiled me for going against the council, for going to war. Revan had disappeared after her victory and they needed a scapegoat. I was the perfect opportunity. I drifted across the Republic, then outside it and eventually found myself among the turians then received a position on the Citadel. I have been here since."

Anna finished her story and looked at the ground. That had dredged up a lot more emotions than she'd thought it would and she could feel tears filling her eyes. Damn Revan, damn her to hell. She hadn't realised she'd started to shake until she felt a warm hand on her arm. Her eyes met his and those calm, brown eyes showed no sign of judgement. She smiled weakly as she rubbed at her eyes to dry her eyes.

He watched her and then they started to walk again if a little more slowly. She really was different to the girls he'd grown up with, his sisters' friends who he'd fancied from a distance, and different from the women he'd served with. She could have been any age between eighteen and twenty-eight, either way more than a little young for him, but all the same he felt he had a sense of camaraderie with her. He supposed they were both damaged but that was ok.

Eventually they stopped outside an innocuous door with the number 1040 on it where Anna turned to face her new friend. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Joker bent down and kissed her on the cheek. She instantly blushed a furious red and rooted around in her bag before pulling out a card. On it was written her contact details. He stuffed in his pocket as they said goodnight and she opened the door. It was then that she turned and came rather too close to him, Joker found himself wishing to whatever higher power was out there that he'd eaten the damn after dinner mints, before pulling down the brim of his cap and giving him a quick peck on the lips before saying goodnight again and going inside.

Joker couldn't wait to see Kaidan.

Anna stood inside her small, neat sitting room and looked across the pale yellow room to where her lightsaber sat on a bookshelf. Her heart must have been beating twice as fast as normal and she could feel the heat coming from her face. She sat the bag next on the sofa as she left a message with Venari as she'd promised she would in case anything happened before collapsing into the the sofa herself and pulling off her boots.

The room had several framed photographs on the walls, her assignments after she'd come to Citadel Space including the Ascension. There was even an image of her graduation from the rank of padawan at the Jedi Temple on Corusant. On the sofa were a few cushions for comfort and with the exception of gifts from friends such as the picture of the turian homeworld which hung opposite the window, the room like the rest of the apartment was very basic. She had lived solely for her role as a soldier and then Commandant that for a long time anything personal with the exception of those few friends she kept regular contact with never even reached her priority list. She was lonely.

A light on her personal console flashed showing she had a new message. A green light meaning it was from the Republic. She pulled it up, listened to the message from the Jedi Council to the Republic military on a supposedly secure line she'd sliced years earlier and screamed in a mixture of frustration and despair.

Before she could think further than the unfairness of it all she found herself picking up the first thing her hands found, a pink cushion, and flung it at the wall where she kept all the mementos of her past. She stood very still for several minutes, reciting the Jedi Code of all things in her head, looking up Flight Lieutenant J. Moreau's contact details and writing them down.

Switching off the console she walked in a dream-like daze to the bedroom where she stripped and pulled a nightie over her head and got into the double bed, under the lilac duvet and turned off the lights. As she lay in the dark she allowed tears to run down her cheeks as she swore at Revan, with her second chance, at the Jedi Council whom she had respected and looked up to for so long and silly, foolish, little Bastila. In her bathroom a glass broke.

Joker found the Normandy almost silent and apparently empty so he assumed that everyone was in bed after the meet and greet. When he made it to the mess he found a note addressed to him next to his prescribed medication and a glass of water. It was from Francesca Chakwas, telling him to take a glass of water to bed with him if he'd been drinking and that she hoped he'd had a nice evening. He took the pills in one great gulp before drinking the glass of water. His hands were starting to ache. The quiet humming of the ship told him that the engine had been activated, that the ship and him with it would be leaving the station and he felt oddly depressed at the idea of it.

He had liked her. Felt terrible for the little bit of herself she'd shown herself at the end of the night. He'd seen her tongue loosen as he'd told his own stories, the listener did normally drink more after all. Imagine going straight into the position of general – it must have been hell. He didn't try to figure out where she must come from, he wasn't going to pry but there was no doubt that she was an unusual figure. He got to his feet, made his way slowly to his assigned quarters where, sure enough Kaidan lay curled up under his standard issue navy duvet with his uniform draped over a chair and his shoes at the side of the bed. Leaving his crutches propped up to one side, he removed Kaidan's shirt, his trousers and his leg braces before bulling himself on to the bed and pulling the duvet over him. He thought of that tug at his cap, now given pride of place on the desk, and smiled. She'd smelt of shampoo and a flowery scent he didn't quite recognise. A few seconds later he was asleep.

Back in her own bed, Anna's emotions had calmed down and she lay in the darkness trying to sleep, remembering her various meetings the next morning including one with Ambassador Udina. As she started to drift of she thought of Joker, snuggled deeper under the duvet and felt much more relaxed. She could still smell his scent or aftershave from where she'd kissed him. She too was quickly fast asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect.

Chapter Four: Consenting Adults – but does it matter?

When Anna woke up, the first thing she realised was that she'd forgotten to set the alarm and she'd slept in. She'd slept through meetings with the volus ambassador, the elcor ambassador and the Shadow Broker. Pulling the duvet away she went into the compact kitchen and switched on the kettle  
before turning to the console in the other room.

She was unsurprised to find a great many unanswered calls, no doubt the furious parties she was supposed to have been meeting this morning. The first message was from the Shadow Broker saying that he hoped that she had enjoyed her meal, that the information needed was with Barla Von and was it serious between her and the Flight Lieutenant? She wasn't surprised that she knew about her dinner at Helios but the last part confused her more than she cared to admit. After all she had gone to dinner, as she had with countless other people, so why would the Broker assume that she was  
seeing the man?

Suddenly she remembered the confrontation with those human women. She also remembered kissing him, however fleetingly, in front of her own apartment. She also remembered enjoying it. Oh hell. The date, because she couldn't really deny it had turned into a bit of a date, appeared to be the most  
talked about bit of gossip in the entire station.

There were twenty three messages on the console. Usually there would be one or two. Six were from embassies wondering why she hadn't kept arranged appointments. Five were from Sha'ira wondering how her date had gone, informing her that news of her date had gone around the station's grape vine in double quick time and did she want to meet up for lunch. Three were from Venari demanding to know what had happened and since when exactly was her social life the business of the entire station. Two from the Council demanding to know if she was indeed 'involved' with an Alliance pilot. Two more from Barla Von requesting an appointment to pass on the information mention in the Shadow Broker's message. The rest were from various reporters. Suddenly Anna wondered if maybe it would be an  
idea to hide under her covers for the next six months and advise Joker to do the same.

She sent messages to the various embassies with her apologies and informed them that she would make new appointments for as soon as possible. She also sent a message to the Citadel Council saying that, if possible, could they keep any non-essential meetings for a later date and that she was not 'involved' with an Alliance pilot. She'd only had dinner with him and if they wanted they could ask Asuka at Helios.

Ten minutes later she was sitting at her small kitchen table eating scrambled eggs and drinking tea- sometimes having one of the largest pay packets in space was worth the hassle - when she received another message from the Republic. It was short and to the point. The Endar Spire, the ship with

Bastila and Revan onboard, had been attacked by Sith forces and had crashed into Taris. It was believed those both had survived but were now trapped on Taris under Sith blockade.

Anna winced at the idea of Revan being given a second chance, it hurt to think that the same people who had been so quick to cast her out were prepared to give this person who had done more harm than she ever had an opportunity to redeem herself. She knew Venari was concerned about the effect the news from the Republic was having on her and she knew that she could turn off the sliced line to never hear any news from her home galaxy again but she found herself unable to do so. She knew that, somehow, her participation in the events of the Republic was not yet finished. A fact  
she was loathsome to accept.

She'd fought in the war, helped save the Republic from the threats beyond the Outer Rim and left without any fuss when they had cast her aside. She'd made herself a new place among friends on the Citadel Space Station.

Despite her new found happiness, the thrill she still got with her monthly pay checks for doing her job and the security of her own apartment in which she was mistress she still knew the Republic would  
only need to ask and she'd go running back. She hated herself for that. Regarded herself in a mixture of contempt and pity for being unable to turn away from those who had not treated her well, for still having to feel as though she had to compensate them for her role at Malachor V.

She remembered Atris and her foolish words, with her belief that Malachor had only been a battle, one in a war she had lost long before the battle took place. She'd simply replied that Atris had no right to speak of things she did not understand. While resisting the urge to take the lightsaber in her hand and plunge it into the other woman's throat.

She washed up the dishes, made her bed and dressed as quickly as possible. Just as she was leaving a new message came from the Citadel Council. She was to come straight to the Citadel tower immediately and there were to be no delays. If she was not standing in front of them in ten minutes then they would come to her. A face down domestic argument in the middle of the Presidium was not how she wanted to start her day. Frantically she locked her door behind her as she left, wishing that she could somehow transport herself to Dantooine for a walk on the grasslands to clear her thoughts.

***************************************************************************************************************

By the time Anna was leaving, Joker had been up for several hours and was currently sitting in the mess of the Normandy with Kaidan and Francesca to either side happily interrogating him about the night before. A rather bemused Commander Jane Shepard watched the exchange. She was quickly  
coming to the conclusion that the Flight Lieutenant, as tired and pale as he appeared, would last very well under intensive questioning.

They had been running systems checks as well as finishing off administration issues all morning and now that they had finished for the time being Joker had found himself surrounded. So far he had assured them that he had not spent the night with her that it was a nice evening, she'd been very nice, she was rather pretty and she had not come back to the Normandy. Kaidan had gone somewhat pale at the prospect of being asleep in the same room if Joker had indeed brought her back but Joker  
assured his friend that he had walked her home before coming back to the ship.

The atmosphere was cheerful. The rest of the crew had relaxed earlier that morning when Captain Anderson had hollered for someone to pull his pilot out of his bed only to jump a foot in the air when the afore mentioned pilot pointed out over the comm system that he was already up and anyway  
he had an excuse to sleep in as he'd been turning the station's rumour mill single-handedly and what was everyone else's excuse. Kaidan's teasing of the pilot had also helped especially when Anderson had revealed Joker's position as the 'best pilot in the Alliance' which Joker consequently repeated to anyone who would listen. The good doctor didn't take any nonsense from the pair who had the good fortune to have a good friend assigned to the same ship so that they did not have to go through the  
usual small talk as they sussed people out.

Kaidan had been trying to interrogate Joker about his date since the minute they'd woken up. Unfortunately Joker was keeping his cards close to his chest giving only the barest hint of information. Francesca Chakwas was also infuriated by the lack of information and was quietly threatening to take a scalpel to Joker's beloved baseball cap. Commander Shepard who had only sat down a few minutes earlier was starting to wonder if she should go somewhere safer to drink her coffee. They were still surprised when Anderson turned up with a slightly exasperated but mainly angry expression on his face.

"Joker, is there any particular reason why your dinner with Miss Kai has resulted in the Citadel Council demanding access to your personnel file? Demanding – I point out, not asking, not requesting but openly demanding. The head of Citadel Security has been pacing the ambassador's office for the past ten minutes and he's not being given any reason why."

Kaidan and the doctor looked up in amazement. Joker suddenly looked traumatised and Shepard decided that – if anyone in the room made it out alive – this was going to be an interesting conversation.

"I have no idea, sir. I know she is under their command but I don't know why they would want to take such interest."

"You haven't gotten her pregnant or something have you?"

Anderson's bluntness took even Shepard aback. Joker looked ready to pass away peacefully where he sat.

"No! I haven't slept with her or anything. I got a quick peck when I walked her home and that was all. I swear!"

Kaidan suddenly had to bite down on to his hand, his eyes looking down on the ground, while both Francesca and Shepard tried not to giggle. Joker had just sounded very much like a scolded schoolboy having been found in a compromising position with a girl by his father. A furiously frustrated  
glare from the captain soon knocked any amusement on the head.

"I have been called to a meeting with the Council and Ambassador Udina in one hour. If it has anything to do with your love life, I will personally send for your parents to be brought to the Citadel. They can answer any questions regarding your behaviour. Do you understand?"

Joker nodded silently.

"If it is not, we will never discuss this again. Any of us, do you understand? Lieutenant? Doctor? Commander?"

All three nodded silently. Anderson turned on his heel and barked at one of the engineers on their way up from the engine room. The poor kid immediately did a u-turn and fled back into the lift. When the captain had left, they all turned to Joker who still looked ready to faint. Shepard took her leave, as did Lieutenant Alenko when she motioned to him that she would need him to come with her for her next check. She noticed that he put a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder as he passed. The doctor was  
speaking to him a low, gentle tone. As he walked behind him, Joker swung to turn to the Lieutenant and grabbed his hand.

"Kaidan, if my parents are called for, will you kill me? Please?"

Anna stood before the three councillors and, for the first time since she'd first been assigned to the station, felt absolutely terrified. They  
were in the private chambers of the Council, rather than the grander but much more open public chambers. Since she'd come through the doorway almost half an hour earlier they'd been bawling her out for a mixture of stupidity, bad judgement as well as getting drunk and letting her mouth  
run away with her.

She'd been confused by the last accusation until the Council revealed that the Shadow Broker had personally contacted them in the early hours of the morning wondering if the dear, sweet, little commandant was indeed from another galaxy. In order to gain to a yay or nay response he'd agreed to reveal just where he'd received this suggestion. When he responded that Miss Anna Kai herself had vaguely confirmed it walking home from Helios with a rather charming, considerably older man, the Citadel Council promptly lost their combined tempers.

She'd stood there being lambasted in silence as she knew from previous experience that it was easier to allow them to vent their frustrations and anger at her before they would go on to normal business. Even when Nihlus had arrived, they had continued to bawl her out and when Nihlus figured  
out why they were roaring at her he joined in. She was not, under any circumstances whatsoever, to see him in anything other than a professional setting alone again. There were to be no acts of reproduction or intense intimacy, in fact any intimacy, either or they would all go to meet Flight  
Lieutenant and have a private conversation with him. One with very few words.

She nodded frantically. Anything to finish this conversation, if it could even be called that. The comment about reproduction had been particularly revolting. The mention of intimacy had been especially embarrassing resulting in flushed pink cheeks. Not only to her, apparently, because  
from the doorway someone suppressed a gag. Everyone in the room turned to see a very embarrassed Captain Anderson from the Human Alliance standing there. He seemed rather shocked.

It was not so surprising; after all it was not very often you would find the three most influential people in Citadel space hurling parental admonishments at a girl about a boy. Or rather a man. A man he knew really rather well. Suddenly David Anderson wanted to be back on the Normandy if only to kick his pilot's ass. He wasn't sure what he had envisioned Miss Kai to look like but certainly not this. She was just a little shorter than average height with glossy brown curls tied back in a ribbon. She had  
wide pale eyes which initially made him think that she was blind, bringing on a second urge to murder his pilot. She wore the most outrageous outfit, a knee length flouncy skirt, shirt – both in green – and a black tie. Everything about her appearance said civilian. Everything else screamed military. She stood perfectly straight, didn't fidget and every piece of clothing, including the shoes he was sure you could see yourself in, was as neat as a new pin. She also looked considerably younger than Joker.

On seeing him, thankfully, the room appeared to flawlessly fall back into normality. Nihlus addressed Captain Anderson in his terse but polite way; the Council acknowledged his arrival and Anna took a step to the sidelines. It was then that Ambassador Udina, never anyone's favourite person, arrived. Anderson, preparing to be bollicked about Joker, was  
surprised to hear about the Council's decision to evaluate Commander Jane Shepard as a possible Spectre.

Anderson appeared pleased with the choice of candidate and Nihlus was adamant that Commander Shepard was an ideal choice to join the Spectres yet despite of this Anna knew that the Council were not exactly pleased at the prospect of having the captain's protégé as the second human candidate.

Anderson had proved to be a most unsuccessful candidate on his own attempt to gain entrance into the Council's right hand but not for the reasons he had claimed to the Alliance who had promptly had a temper tantrum with the Citadel Council. Anderson had argued that Saren had deliberately attacked their target causing hundreds of deaths without cause, something which everyone could easily see Saren doing, but he had expected that his word alone would be enough to impact on the Council's decision. He had also argued that the turian responsible for inducting Saren into the spectres was as responsible which is generally considered a standard turian response. The part where Anderson failed so spectacularly was when he claimed that he had absolutely no impact on the events and he could have done nothing against Saren as he hated humans. Almost instantly the head of the spectres, and the Council decided that there was no way that he was joining the Citadel in any capacity.

Shepard's credentials were superb and she agreed that the Commander had shown the correct aptitude to be a successful candidate but that all meant nothing if she was unable to accept just how much everything would rely on her reputation. When her unit had been utterly destroyed by thresher maws on Akuze she had come to the attention of Nihlus if only for her attitude during the aftermath. If she was a successful candidate then Anna was already prepared to have her assigned with Nihlus to the Citadel Third. First, however, she would have to succeed in retrieving the Prothean Beacon from the human colony world of Eden Prime. As it was, the Citadel Council had only heard of the beacon from a most irate Shadow Broker who was absolutely furious with his Alliance contacts for attempting to keep it a secret. Any Prothean finds would have a massive impact on Citadel Space as a whole and after all the Council, the Republics, the Hierarchy and the Union had done with the Alliance they still thought it was acceptable to hide a find of this magnitude. The thinly veiled threats from all four parties towards the Alliance had sent the parliament on Arcturus Station into a panic. Anna waited for the meeting to end to receive the impending argument with Yida and as such was taken by surprise when the Council informed her, Anderson and the Ambassador of a last minute change to the Eden Prime mission. The councillors shared what could only be called a malicious look and turned to Anna.

"Miss Kai will be accompanying Nihlus to the beacon on Eden Prime to determine if it is safe to transport it and any other actions to be taken regarding it. The main Prothean expert meant to lead the investigation has gone missing and there is a very real threat from the Terminus Systems. It has been decided that she will depart with the Normandy and shall return to her duties on the Citadel when the beacon has been secured." Yuash, the Salarian Councillor, was speaking in his most threatening voice, the one that said 'You-Agree-Or-I-Pull-Out-All-Your-Secrets', so Anna felt like banging her head against the nearest wall when the Human Ambassador actually opened his mouth to argue! Anna opened her mouth to argue but was quickly silenced by a look from the  
turian councillor. When she recognised the expression and overall tone of being the 'we're-only-doing-this-to-protect-you' she shut it again. Anderson, also recognising the return of the parental argument from earlier, also kept silent. Deciding that listening to Udina starting another argument wasn't worth the headache Anna spoke quicker.

"May it be as you order Councillor." She said as polite as she could while suppressing the urge to scream 'could you not have told me this when you were screaming at my supposedly bad choice in dinner partners?!'

"Good." Was the only response and with that the Council left to speak to the hanar representatives about a protest at another Prothean dig site. Yida threw Anna a look that said that as long as she didn't mess up anymore then the argument was forgotten. At the prospect of having to spend a week on a ship with Joker and Anderson Anna was already considering demanding a week's leave on Palaven has compensation.

Nihlus and Anderson accompanied her as they crossed the Presidium and informed her of the plans already made. She couldn't find any flaws and remarked that she would concern herself with the beacon when they arrived at Eden Prime and until then she was leaving everything in their very capable hands. Nihlus turned to Anna and, ignoring the cold expression on her face, asked if he ought to 'have a word' with the pilot while he was on the Normandy. As they reached the lift from C-Sec to  
where the Normandy was docked, Anderson astonished to see the girl unbalance the turian spectre and push him against the wall.

"If you so much as bring me up in conversation with Joker – I mean Flight Lieutenant Moreau - I will personally end you Nihlus."

The threat reminded Anderson of a similar experience with his own little sister when they had been teenagers. The threat may have been serious but it was unlikely to be carried out. The fury in the girl's eyes definitely showed that she'd have been happy to make the turian's life hell when he returned to the station if he did though. Nihlus nodded but smirked as Anna swung around to face a door Anderson didn't remember seeing before, her skirt twirling around her legs.

"I shall meet you down in the docking bay in half an hour same as Nihlus if that's acceptable with you Captain?"

"Of course. I shall have the corrections made and the appropriate warnings issued by the time you both arrive Miss Kai." Anna flushed pink and let herself into her apartment. Nihlus let out a barking noise that Anderson assumed was a laugh.

"It is good to see her flustered over something so normal." The turian remarked much to the Captain's surprise.

"Normal?"

"Finding someone attractive, knowing it is public knowledge and having to face facts you let slip when you drink too much as well as a very possessive father. Anna Kai is usually much more concerned about fleet patrol routes, supply manifestos and crew records, this is the first time I've seen her so concerned about a personal matter."

"She seems incredibly young to be on the Citadel."

"She is but she's also incredibly competent. I don't really know how to explain it but Anna not only understands various cultures but she also amalgamates them all into one that she finds acceptable but doesn't cause insult to the majority and so is ideal to work across various species. The Citadel wouldn't run half as smooth without her."

The rest of their shared walk was silent until Nihlus assured the Captain that he would meet him and Miss Kai at the agreed time leaving Anderson to get the lift to the docks alone and deep in thought. This was becoming increasingly confusing and he wasn't sure if he liked his ship and his pilot getting caught up in the middle of it all.

* * *

Anna had changed into fatigues, removed her weapons from the cabinet and was just about ready to leave when her father arrived.

"I'm assuming that any intelligence in that head of yours left last night." He said as he sat on the sofa as Anna completed her tasks.

"I listened to him and as he did most of the speaking I didn't realise that I'd had so much to drink. I didn't even realise I was drunk until we were on the Presidium."

He shook his head and she waited for the rebuke but none came. Instead he handed her the 'papers' required if she was made to identify herself on Eden Prime. Unlikely but it was easier to carry them with her than have arguments due to her unusual position. The silence was rather comfortable but eventually it began to get to Anna, like a gnawing feeling that she'd forgotten to do something.

"So you aren't cross?"

"About you giving up galactic secrets because you were tipsy? Yes. That you were on a date? No. It isn't right that you focus entirely on Citadel" - he held up a hand stopping her protests – "I know it's your home but it is better that you have a personal life that is not solely made of Citadel interests. As for our . . . desire to know more about the young man in question" – Anna physically squirmed at the phrase – "you should thin yourself lucky. Venari stalked the floor of the Alliance Embassy to receive his personnel file rather than going to hunt him down. You know he is very protective of you."

"And you aren't?"

"I'm your father and as such I'm allowed to be. As for what we said before the meeting what we meant to say in regards to the Flight Lieutenant was to be careful and most important keep it separate. Tell him if you think he can be trusted, eventually, but don't get him mixed up in your affairs especially regarding the Republic."

"I know. Yida, I do like him and I would like to see more of him but why am I being sent to Eden Prime?"

"That's unrelated. The Third have sent back reports of some kind of ship in the Terminus Systems. A ship bigger even than the Ascension. It's possible that it could attempt to get the beacon and if the Third can't recognise it then there is a very real threat that it's from your galaxy and not ours."

"I'd want to be there if it is."

"I know. Be careful."

"I will Yida. I promise."

* * *

Vrook Lamar was finding it increasingly difficult to remain in the Jedi Enclave and the surrounding plains. Instead he spent most of his time training in the most secluded areas of the plains. Even then he couldn't concentrate or rid himself of his mounting tensions towards Revan and the Council members. Everywhere he went within the enclave he would always find himself in the company of either Revan herself or else one of her company. None of whom he could stand. The girl, Mission, he could stand. He missed the younglings since they had been sent to the inner rim where it was safer and it was good to see such an enthusiasm for everything again. The Mandalorian, the soldier and Revan made him think of Anna – the Exile – and the unfairness of it all.

The disputes about her were becoming more frequent. Vrook had been aware of a problem of the communication lines between them and the Republic for some time but Revan's droid claimed it had been hacked and all anyone could discover was the access codes used. It was the Exile's codes, used after her supposed death. Vrook had demanded that if the Council wanted him to aid Revan in any way then the communications hack was left alone. The others had not liked his demand but he was past caring. Revan was a signal to him that, even if she was successful and did not turn back to the Dark Side, not all Jedi were treated fairly not even by the Council. He had though that previous issues had taught him this but now more than ever the void seemed unbridgeable. He allowed Zhar to handle most of Revan's retraining avoiding her as much as he could until one day he was questioned by Mission of why he didn't like her. His only response was that the galaxy was in many pieces and he did not think she could reunite them herself.

He wondered if Kavar ever regretted not joining the Republic, of not following his student. Kavar still thought of her, that he knew, still felt for her but most of all he had asked Vrook in utmost secrecy if he had been part of the reason that she had been exiled. Vrook had told him that the issues between Kavar and the Exile were theirs to confront and it had paid no difference in his decision. It would not be the first time and it would not be the last. Just look at the Republic pilot making eyes at Revan. The want of love and affection was always there and it was up to them as individuals to put that aside for the good of many. Many did not succeed or seen 'true love' where there was only lust and that was the primary downfall. Love, lust and affection were privileges that Jedi often had to go without.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: In Which A Great Amount of Time Passes

An Excerpt from Alliance Investigations of the Central Command Structure of the Citadel Station:

There is some part of the cultural aspect of the Citadel Station that no human seems to be able to understand which is the frankly bizarre correlation between the military standings of individuals and their standing among society in general on-board the station. As opposed to the Alliance's Arcturus Station there is no regulations on issues such as fraternisation or even the civilian knowledge of military ongoing actions.

Many members of the Alliance Senate think that this is due to the Shadow Broker. From my investigations on the station itself I must disagree. The Shadow Broker is too obvious a candidate although I feel I must put forward one of my own – known only as 'The Lady Commandant'. On-board the station for five years as a civilian I heard this person referenced only once outside of Citadel Security where it appears she is a frequent visitor and that was in a bar where several turians and salarians mentioned that she was preparing to 'scrap' an entire fleet. As far as any of my information is aware the Citadel Fleet has no plans to be scrapped or even renovated in the next ten years. Originally I had assumed that this 'Commandant' – which is not a rank in any of the known military structures in use within Citadel Space – was asari but I don't believe that salarians or turians would be so reverent towards even the most powerful of the asari matriarchs.

From: Admiral Hackett

To: Arcturus Station Military

Subject: Intelligence

Found following inscription:

.IV-Commdat=?

Translation ASAP

As far as warnings went the one Captain Anderson issued to the crew of the _Normandy _was simple enough: be polite, be nice and stay the hell out of the way unless asked otherwise or empty the latrines for the next month. That was after he allowed the Turian Spectre to beat the living daylights out of you and, yes, that included Joker.

Anna Kai was a representative of the Citadel Council, not the Alliance and was in fact not affiliated with the Alliance, did not have the same oaths as the Alliance and, most important, did not have the same rules as the Alliance. Anderson wanted there to be as little trouble as possible and that meant he wanted to be at Eden Prime and out again within three days as opposed to the initial time scale of a week. Joker could do whatever he wanted as long as he managed to stick to the schedule.

Joker had already been wondering what the safest way to Eden Prime in under a week would be but now he and Navigator Pressly were trying to figure out any route there in under three days and unless they overrode every queue to every mass relay there and back it wasn't possible.

Hopefully their turian spectre guest would be able to help them.

As well as how the hell they were meant to get to Eden Prime without single handedly pissing off every vessel between the Citadel and the colony there was the fact that the Normandy was – well – strange.

The Normandy was certainly unlike any vessel any of the now rather eccentric crew had ever served on but much to the bemusement of the Human Systems Alliance crew it was in fact the turian spectre and the rather sweetly strange human companion that had little difficulty in getting to grips with the unusual layout of the ship. This was of course because the Normandy – pride of the Human Systems Alliance as she was – had been almost entirely lifted from basic layouts for Turian Hierarchy frigate-sized vessel. Other than that there was also the fact that by this stage scuttlebutt already meant that the entire crew already knew that Joker had already met and in fact been on a date to the late addition to the rooster.

The really rather pretty, polite and in the words of Francesca Chakwas 'simply adorable' addition to the rooster. Not to mention really rather young considering she'd been on the Citadel. It usually took several years of experience in any career – the only exception perhaps being a member of the consort's business and even then it was known that meeting Sha'ira's expectations was incredibly difficult mainly because it was never clearly defined what the consort actually wanted in her handmaidens.

Between Nihlus and the rather uncharacteristically short captain however things managed to go rather calmly. Miss Kai – Anderson had introduced her as such and the crew were not prepared to disagree that she was no more a civilian than any of them were - and Nihlus tended to pair off together during the day and the crew went on as business as usual while Joker was teased a little more than normal as well as giving Pressly a fit at the prospect of a route that could theoretically make it to Eden Prime and back in three days. If Joker was catcalled more than usual he didn't let on and if Miss Kai was being glanced at more than would usually be expected she never let it phase her.

The plan was simple – go to Eden Prime, allow Shepard and Nihlus do their thing, get the beacon on-board and then get back to the Citadel. Unfortunately it didn't work out quite according to plan and no one could honestly say hand on heart(s) when it started to crumble around them.

The people of Eden Prime said it was when the turian spectre went planet side.

Anderson said it was when the great big _utterly massive _space ship with the Geth ground forces attacked the space port attempting to retrieve the beacon.

Shepard reckoned it must have began after the head of Eden Prime threw what could only be described as a temper tantrum at the presence of a _turian _on his _human _colony.

Joker decided it the _second _he got out of the pilot's chair which meant that he'd had to direct another pilot on defensive moves to avoid the aforementioned _utterly massive _space ship.

Nihlus had sent a report back to the Citadel simply saying: Attack on Eden Prime. Fatalities. Third Re-con Arrival saved colony. Issues to be solved. He also decided that he was going to try and get to Omega and Afterlife as soon as he's finished his current term and drink himself into oblivion for a day or three.

Kaidan decided that the attack by the _utterly massive _space ship with the Geth ground units was terrible although he was incredibly proud of his squadron of marines for dispatching more than a few of the Geth. It was when the _Fleet _of odd shaped, utterly insanely proportioned ships had arrived to aid in the removal of the _utterly massive _ship that all hell really did break lose especially politically. Unfortunately it was when the _swishy thingy _came out into the fray that he was suddenly concerned that he simply had to be dreaming.

Anna simply wasn't comfortable with how comfortable she had been wielding a light sabre or with the fact that someone somewhere in the Human Systems Alliance was having contact with someone somewhere with contact with either the Jedi Order or Revan and Malak's Sith. Damn.

Death. Destruction. Reaping. As her mind was haunted by long forgotten deaths Anna felt the mental screams of Commander Shepard as her mind too was being touched by the beacon. Death. Destruction. Reaping. _Reapers. _

Sith?

The space port was badly damaged but it was not unfixable. Almost immediately there were plans to get the port back to its fully functioning abilities. The _Normandy _remained docked in the space port while Captain Anderson, Anna Kai, members of the Eden Prime Parliament along with the leader of the fleet that had answered the bizarre call that Miss Kai had thrown at Joker to initiate after the Geth's first attack. Not that anyone dared to admit it but there were plenty people had heard Nihlus's not so quiet roar across the battlefield that the colony was not adequately defended and that they required reinforcements. Even fewer would have offered their opinion that the spectre had been right.

Both Francesca Chakwas as well as Kaidan Alenko had been working with the wounded for many hours. The majority of the injured were people who had been at the outskirts of the space port, many of them were engineers who were working on the extension of the monorail, farmers and those who worked on the space port cargo areas. The _Normandy _was under orders to remain at Eden Prime – in fact the exact words by Admiral Hackett – 'that damn turian and his _thing _could get their asses back to the Citadel themselves'.

Miss Kai's father and colleagues were not impressed.

Had Anna been conscious while the negotiations were still at the 'stand and shout yourself hoarse' stage she would not not exactly been pleased herself with her new knowledge of the Systems Alliance. Rather unbelievable there in fact was a rule book for those who were active members of Citadel Space and an even larger ones for races with embassies. Had the books governing the actions of Citadel Council races been actually physical books they could probably have snapped an arm off the Citadel Station. There were asari rules, turian rules, salarians rules as well as quarian, human, volus and elcor and batarian rules. There were military rules and C=Sec rules and civilian rules. Someone in the Alliance had broken one of the rules in the blackest, boldest ink under the heading 'Treason'. She was going to find out who.

Fortunately Admiral Caryth of the Reconnaissance Fleet which had remained in orbit over Eden Prime was more than happy to ensure safe passage for the Spectre Nihlus and Miss Kai to the Citadel Station and was also more than happy to keep his fleet over Eden Prime until both were allowed to leave the planet by both the Alliance and the Alliance's medical teams who had been working on the pair. Until both Citadel representatives were well and able to leave Eden Prime his fleet would be more than happy to remain until they were able to do so. When accused by Admiral Hackett of threatening the Alliance he had twitched his head to one side and made a part shrug part shake movement.

"I can either wait here and insult you which will result in our politicians having an argument or I can return without both Nihlus and Miss Kai and have the Spectre Corps and most of C-Sec after my throat. I would indefinitely prefer to piss you off Admiral."

Hackett gritted his teeth but the batarian – battle scarred, harsh and unassuming in his actions - seemed utterly nonplussed by the man's fury. He had not forsaken his rights as a batarian citizen to join the Reconnaissance fleet decades earlier to be upset by a grandstanding human opponent. He had been a part of the apolitical fleet before his people had left their embassy and gone into total isolation from the rest of Citadel Space. Like the rest of the batarians in the citadel forces he was offered to leave with his political representatives or to remain but be exiled from batarian space. Caryth didn't care for humanity. It was a loud, rude, uncouth species but if it could better the military might of the Citadel and keep a decent tongue in its mouth he wasn't going to get upset. Standing on-board his own bridge of the flagship _Malachor _and being insulted by this rampaging alpha male was not the ideal position that the admiral wanted to be in but he could not leave the Commandant here unprotected so here he would stay.

The piecemeal bridge staff of the ship intensely studied their own screens and were perfectly polite and perfectly cold as was their way when dealing with people from outside the fleet. Anderson was unnerved. There were two asari, a salarian and a quarian manning the communications fray and all four were kept by constant incoming updates from across the galaxy and even from beyond the edges of space claimed by the Citadel races. There were krogan standing as security, an matriarch had gone down to the makeshift hospital on Eden Prime and offered her services identifying herself as one of the fleet's medical specialists. The ships were massive but also equipped for huge ranges even from the not technically minded captain could understand in a glimpse. He had come aboard with Hackett and too been horrified to find a batarian in command.

Batarians were the enemy. Batarians were evil and cruel and slavers and not good.

The simple task of opening her eyes was sore. Or rather it was absolutely agonising. A pair of large brown eyes looked down on her as she squinted . She was tired, drained of the whisperings of the Force she had commanded during the ground battle. Healing primarily – the civilians who couldn't wait for medical aid and the inadequately prepared and equipped ground units which had taken a hammering at the arrival of the geth mainly. Then there was Nihlus. Nihlus who had been shot badly. Blue turian blood seeping into the lush green grass of Eden Prime. Saren had done that. Saren was a traitor. Saren was getting away. She had chased him eventually being ambushed by several large white geth and lost her pistol and she never carried any other type of gun except a sniper rifle but she had been advised not to bring it in case it upset the local authorities and she was Force drained so she had tried to pull the pistol back to her and instead it was a light sabre that found itself in her hand. A red light sabre which had made little work of the large geth as they were cut to shreds, little work of the blue corpses which mindlessly attacked everything that approached. She had been too late to prevent Saren boarding the ship which promptly blasted its way through the Third taking heavy damage.

She was hurt and limped badly as she made her way to where Nihlus was meant to have met Shepard's team to find that the private had been killed in action and a marine, human female, had joined to team. Shepard had been shouting but by that stage Anna had been going into shock and as Shepard pushed her back the man had pointed out the smears of blue and red and black blood were in fact not smears at all but where Anna was bleeding through her clothes but Shepard had pushed both herself and Anna into the beacon's field and within a matter of seconds bother were unconscious and . .

"Nihlus?"

She gasped and clamoured for breath as she reached towards to face and grabbed the humans shoulder. It was Kaidan Alenko, Joker's friend from the Normandy.

Kaidan looked down at the pale face of Anna Kai and pushed some of the hair away from her face. She was the last critically ill patient from the attack, nearly everyone else had gotten better but some had died. She had been on the ground purely by chance when the attack had struck. Nihlus had been an unwelcome arrival and only her willingness to go with him to the dig site had meant that Nihlus going ground side hadn't resulted in a political mess. She was so small and sweet and unassuming yet she had ripped through the battlefield with power, accuracy and deadliness that not even an entire squad of marines could match. It had taken him days to get her from the doors of death and only with the help of Matriarch Deanna who had been with the Re-con Fleet.

Whatever she was Anna Kai was not human.


End file.
